A Soft Epilogue
by Abboz
Summary: With Thanos defeated, Tony Stark wakes to find his beautiful wife at his side. From the smile on her face, it seems he's earned the final reward, something he wasn't sure he deserved. What he certainly never expected was for Pepper to be even more right than she thought possible; they were going to be okay. All of them. (Also features Happy, Natasha & Clint.)
1. Chapter 1

"Tony!" A distinctly feminine voice broke through to his consciousness, pulling him towards the top of whatever murkiness it was he was trapped in. He wanted to see her face, needed to, and that was what kept him going, pushing onwards. After what felt like an eternity, with a gasp he opened his eyes. "Hey."

As he came to, beginning to focus, he realised she was stroking his cheek. Her touch, and the sight of those familiar eyes gazing into his, made him want to smile, though he wasn't sure how well it had translated to his face. "Pep. Made… heaven?"

It was her turn to smile, beaming at him as she shook her head. "Not yet. You didn't die, not quite, though you gave it your best shot. You really had us going there."

"Wha…? Mor…?"

"She's safe, she's with Happy."

He tried to move, look around, but there wasn't enough strength in his muscles for that. Pepper caught him anyway, her touch more firm for a moment, stilling the little movement he did manage. Then as she cradled his head in her palms, she smiled again, softly hushing him. It felt like she was telling him to be calm, so he obeyed. "Kid?"

"Peter's okay. He's doing great actually. He's really stepped up, you'll be proud." Perching on the side of her husband's hospital bed, she swept her fingers through his hair, pushing it back from his face. "Now listen to me, Tony, focus on yourself, on getting better. There's no need to worry about any of us, we're all okay, and we think you're gonna be okay too, but you have a long recovery ahead of you. Thank you for protecting us."

This time, the smile touched his lips. "Love..."

"I love you too." Pepper braced herself on the pillow above him, leaning down to press a tender kiss to his lips. "And Morgan says she loves you three thousand."

Tony seemed to lose focus as he gazed up at her, eyes beginning to drift shut. "Love..."

"I'll tell her you said it back. It's okay," she whispered, kissing his forehead to reinforce the comfort. "Get some sleep, you need it."

* * *

Almost twenty six hours later, Tony Stark woke for a second time after wielding the power of the Infinity Stones. It was much less of a struggle and he didn't feel quite so dead this time, but again he woke to Pepper's smiling features looking down at him.

The sight made him want to question whether he was actually in heaven after all, but that would require his wife to be wrong. He couldn't see that happening at all. He could see her mouth moving though, forming words he couldn't quite hear, not at first.

"Tony?" That one was clear though. "Can you hear me?"

He blinked, staring for a second before it computed that he needed to answer. He nodded. "Pepper."

"Welcome back." She touched his face, fingers stroking at his hairline. How did she keep her hands so soft?

"You're so beautiful."

She smiled at the compliment. His painkillers weren't even that strong anymore, but it did seem like all that power that had surged through him still had his brain a little muddled. "Thank you."

"I really got lucky."

She nodded; he was right, but not for the reason he meant. "Me too. How are you feeling?"

Tony thought about it for a moment. "Like six magic stones tried to kill me."

Perhaps he wasn't that confused after all. "Since you lived, I think they must have been on your side. Something kept you alive, and this time I don't think you can claim the credit."

He narrowed his eyes at her, but then leant into her palm as she cupped his cheek. "Why didn't it kill me?"

"We're not sure," she told him, and that was the truth, but they had theories. He still wasn't in any fit state to concern him with their details, but she was sure he'd had a friend looking out for him. "I'm very thankful though."

He watched her carefully; though she had smiled he was sure there was a little sadness showing in her eyes, his first hint at the pain it had caused her. "Let me kiss that better." He lifted his head off the pillow, angling it towards her, then let it drop back down. A puzzled expression formed on his face; he wanted to hold her but his arm hadn't moved. Sure he was exhausted, but he didn't feel that tired, and then his gaze settled on his right shoulder.

"Look at me." Pepper cupped his face, making him do as she'd said. "I know it doesn't feel like it, but you're going to be okay."

He wanted to believe her. "My arm, it's gone."

She nodded. "The Stones destroyed it. It might be gone but you're not, and that's a miracle, Tony."

Her eyes were watering, so this time he reached up with his left hand and was successful in finding her cheek. "I love you, Pep." He smiled as the sorrow in her eyes lifted a little. "I'm glad I'm alive. I'm gonna fight so hard to stay, to be old and grey and still driving you mad, to raise Morgan with you."

Beaming back at him, she let him wipe the tears from the corner of her eye. "I think you already have." She leant closer to give him the kiss he had tried to give her, smiling into his lips as he returned it. "I love you for fighting, but I want you to know that if ever you can't fight anymore, I will understand, I'll still love you and we'll be okay."

"I'm not ready to rest."

She laughed a little, feeling herself well up again; so he had heard her. "Clearly. Thank you for not listening."

"I did. You helped me. I felt calm, loved, and I knew that whatever happened, everything was going to be okay. But I guess I'm too stubborn to let go. I did rest, just not how you meant."

Pepper ran her fingers through his hair again. "Well take it easy for me. This one time please don't try to run before you can walk." She smiled as he looked down at his legs. "They're still there."

"So it's just a bionic arm I'll need?" She nodded, beaming with relief at how well he was taking it. "I could knock a prototype up in an afternoon, with a little help."

"That sounds a lot like running." She shook her head, but kissed him anyway. "What did I just say?"


	2. Chapter 2

Early the next morning Tony once again woke to the sight of his wife, only this time she wasn't looking back. In the dim light he could see her curled up asleep in the chair beside him, her head leant against the back of it, her hand resting on the mattress beside him.

He couldn't stop looking at her, trying to work out how she could appear so peaceful in such an uncomfortable position. What was she doing here at night? And where was Morgan? Come to think of it where was he? Did her being here mean that he was being treated somewhere they could stay too? They had the money for that he supposed, and she wouldn't leave their daughter that long, not when she must be feeling vulnerable too.

God he missed her little face, but how lucky was he that his strong and sensible wife wanted to be near him so much that she'd put up with this?

"Pep?" To his surprise, she didn't stir, her soft features still relaxed, but the more he looked the more he considered that she must be exhausted; there had been too much on her shoulders for however long he'd been out of it. "Pepper." He reached across himself to put his hand on hers.

"Tony?" The way she started was like he'd literally shocked her with his touch, and her eyes widened way too much for his liking. "What is it? Are you alright?"

He smiled to reassure her. "I'm fine, but you're not fine on there. Come on here."

"What? No." She settled against the back of the chair again. "Go back to sleep, honey."

"Please," he urged, his eyes staring into hers.

Pepper was well aware that he knew what that did to her, so she leant over to him and cupped his face. "Stop that." She punctuated the sentence with a kiss. "You need all the rest you can get, so go back to sleep."

"How am I supposed to sleep knowing you're on that chair? How many nights?"

"All of them?" That wasn't strictly true, the first night the surgeons had been operating on him, and she'd been sat with Morgan, who, utterly terrified, had eventually succumbed to exhaustion in her arms. "But it's not forever."

He couldn't believe that no one, not even Happy, had got her something better to sleep on if she was insisting on sleeping there. "You need rest too. You've been carrying everything alone, looking after Morgan, looking after me. You're strong but it's too much stress, without proper sleep you're going to burn yourself out, Pep."

"I haven't been alone." She stroked his hair, then his face, fingertips brushing over his brow, cheek, jaw, and then retracing the path for good measure.

Gazing back at her, he thought his heart was going to burst out of his chest with love for her, but still that didn't really dispute his point. Maybe he'd been allowed to live not for his own sake, or even Morgan's, but so that Pepper would have someone to take care of her for a change. "Just for tonight; tomorrow we'll get you a bed. Please?"

"Will you go back to sleep if I do?"

Tony nodded. "Promise."

"Okay then." She relented, helping him to shift across before climbing in to join him. To be fair to him there was enough room to accommodate them both, and as she wrapped her arm around his middle, she instantly felt half the tension she'd been carrying just melt away. "Thank you."

"Anytime, I love you."

* * *

"Hey, Pep?" Even in the otherwise silent hospital room, Tony's voice sounded quiet, reminding her just how much the ordeal had weakened him. But weak was better than the alternative, and he was making the most of it by cuddling up to her, lying with his head on her chest. He'd been in and out of consciousness all day, for the past three days, and finding it increasingly disorientating. Apparently having her there made it easier, and she had been all too happy to oblige.

"You alright?" She started to stroke his hair, he'd said that helped too.

"How long was I out?"

"Erm," she stalled, picking her phone up to read the time, "only about forty minutes."

"I mean before I woke."

"Oh, it was the morning of the sixty eighth day."

"That long? I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" She laughed. "I have never been so glad to be worrying about you. We could have lost you, at first I thought we had. What's a couple of months when it could have been decades before I could see you again?" He closed his eyes, leaning into her more. "Most of it was induced anyway so you could recover."

"If there was another way..."

"I know." She hushed him and leant down to kiss his forehead. "He had to be stopped. Don't worry about that now, it's done."

"Will you tell me what happened? Out there? After you said… did you kiss me?"

"You felt that?" She froze and then he nodded so she went back to caressing him. "I thought you were gone."

"I'm not gone."

She smiled. "No, but when I said you didn't die, that wasn't strictly true. I think you did, for almost five minutes from what F.R.I.D.A.Y. said."

* * *

_Flashback_

Pepper was alone, knelt on the ground beside what was left of the man she loved. She had asked the Avengers to leave them, to give her a moment truly on her own before she had to take him home for the last time. She felt numb, and yet her broken heart was making itself known, throbbing painfully in her chest.

Her arm still around his waist, she rested her head against his shoulder once more. She had no words, but then what was the point of words when he was gone and couldn't hear them? And yet he wasn't completely gone, leaving part of himself with her in their daughter. How was she going to tell Morgan?

"Ms Potts." The voice of her suit's AI interrupted the silence.

Slowly, she lifted her head off of her husband. "What is it F.R.I.D.A.Y.?"

"Mr Stark's life functions are back online."

Pepper shook her head. "Don't. It's the suit malfunctioning."

"Diagnostic systems are fully functioning. His vitals are stronger than when you asked, Ms Potts."

She looked at him, motionless, and the very suggestion just made her feel worse until she felt his chest move. Leaning closer, she turned her cheek to him, and sure enough there was a breath.

"Tony!" As she put her hand on his chest, the arc reactor flickered beneath her touch, and then she noticed the glowing Infinity Stones dim slightly. She pried the damaged gauntlet off his hand. "F.R.I.D.A.Y., I want full power on any life support you have in his suit. Reroute my power, anything my suit has that can help him, do it, now."

"Understood."

The light on his chest grew stronger as she cupped the back of his head to support it. "I'm here."

She coaxed her helmet to unfold again, using the interface inside to take control of the tech in her suit, the extra protective elements which he'd added for her benefit proving a godsend. As she configured her own armour to connect with his, she made sure to keep a measure of his vitals on the screen. She could hardly believe that his condition seemed to be stable, but even with everything she had implemented, that wasn't going to be enough.

"Call Happy."

He picked up almost instantly. "Hey, Pepper, you wan‒?"

"Tony's hurt. I need your help."

"Anything."

"I need you to find me a hospital; he's going to need surgeons, the best. It's bad."

"F.R.I.D.A.Y. has a protocol for this, I'll get her to show you. Need me to call backup?"

"No time, I can get him there. Just make sure they're ready for him. F.R.I.D.A.Y., send Happy details of Tony's injuries."

"Yes, Ms Potts."

"Got 'em," he confirmed. "We'll see you there."

"Let me tell her."

"Of course." His picture disappeared as he ended the call.

She checked the graphics in her UI, Tony's heartbeat was clear but still weak, slow. "Let's get you some help."

She gathered him to her, making her armour adapt to shield him too, especially his head, for the flight ahead. With him cocooned, her suit found it easier to help his, the technology in hers better able to support him, and with less of a power drain. That was exactly what she needed, but still she had to make this quick.

So she put her faith in his invention, let it take them to the doctors that he trusted, and once they landed at the doors of the hospital she let the shield drop. Medics were already waiting for him, and she laid him on the trolley, taking a hold of his hand and walking with them as they took him inside and towards the theatre. When they reached it, they paused for her to take what was left of his suit off him, and then all that was left for her to do was to whisper, 'I love you', before they took him away.

* * *

"You saved me, Pep."

She shook her head, smiling anyway. "You saved yourself. You built that suit to protect me, and it ended up saving you."

"The tech's nothing without its pilot. It wouldn't have done it on its own."

That only made her smile wider. "And what would I have done without the tech? That suit is the best anniversary present I could ever have. Thank you."

Tony closed his eyes, and she kissed the crown of his head, running her palm up and down his back to help him relax. "It still needs a name."

"Does it? I love it but I hope we won't need it again. I don't want to do any more rescues."

He smiled. "'Rescue', I like that."

"Then 'Rescue' it is." She looked down at him. "You're tired. Go back to sleep."

He shook his head, then opened his eyes and glanced up at her. "I heard you. After I came back I heard you call my name."

"I didn't think you could hear anything."

"Just that, until I was here looking up at you."

"Then I'm glad you knew I was near."

Tony nodded against her. "How _did_ I come back?"

"My theory? If the Stones are sentient, and the Soul Stone can control life, maybe it brought you back. I think the soul wanted you to live."

"The soul?" Tony closed his eyes again, pushing tears out the corners in the process.

Pepper cupped his face, hushing him and then going back to stroking his hair. "Come on, rest. Everything's okay, we can talk about it when you're stronger."


	3. Chapter 3

A few days later and Tony was starting to feel the effects of cabin fever, or as he referred to it, hospital bed fever. It wasn't so much being stuck in one place, it was the combination of feeling weak, useless and not being able to do anything he normally would. The worst part though, was definitely that he still hadn't seen Morgan.

Every evening after she'd gone to bed he asked after her, and when Pepper got back in the middle of the day he'd always check their morning had gone okay. It seemed she was doing alright, even good given the emotional toll and change to her routine, and every afternoon he hoped that would be the day when Pepper would walk through the door with their beautiful little girl in her arms.

He was trying to be patient, stick to not running before he could walk like she'd asked, but when he woke that morning he really felt like it was going to start affecting his mindset if he didn't see her. It had been over a week, much longer than he'd ever gone without seeing her before and that wasn't even counting the time he'd been at the Avengers Compound.

Tony was soon distracted from that thought though, as his wife appeared at the door with a tray full of breakfast and a broad smile across her face. Not for the first time he was hugely grateful for the privileges they had which meant she could sit and share the food with him, feasting on fruit and pancakes and generous glasses of juice. All the agitation had faded away and suddenly he wouldn't have minded if that moment lasted forever. Unfortunately it couldn't.

"I need to go in fifteen minutes," Pepper warned him. "I've got to get Morgan up and take her to school."

All of a sudden he remembered the pining he'd felt. "Will you bring her in to see me after you pick her up later?"

He noticed the hesitation before giving her answer. "Give it a couple more days, I'll bring her in at the weekend."

"Why?" Tony tried to make light of it, sure that if he didn't he might end up crying with frustration. "How scary do I look?" When she didn't answer, didn't even smile at the joke, it hit him that he hadn't looked in a mirror since he'd first woken up there. "Do I look scary?"

She shook her head, but there was still a frown on her lips. "You look like you."

"Well that's an oxymoron."

"Don't."

Was that a tear in her eye? His brow furrowed; he hadn't meant to start her day like this, why could he never just shut his mouth? "What?"

"There is scarring, but you're not gonna scare her. She loves you and she's been worried about you, and I'm not sure the hologram helped. You're still really weak, sleeping so much and I don't want her to see you like that and just be even more worried. She's used to you being so strong and full of life."

"Then let me show her that her daddy's going to be alright, so she's not worrying that what you're telling her isn't true. She could have all sorts of fears because she's not been able to see me. And I don't want her to think I'm afraid to be vulnerable with her."

"She doesn't." Pepper shook her head.

"She's a smart kid, Pep, she knows that adults keep bad things from children to protect them. What if that's what she thinks this is?"

She disputed that with another shake of her head. "When I told her you'd woken up she wanted to see you right away, but I told her how tired you were, that you needed more time to get better, stronger, that you'd just be sleeping all the time. She understands; I've only told her the truth."

"I know." He nodded, wanting her to know he'd never doubted that. "Now I am stronger, and I'll rest all day, please. I just want to hold her and make her feel better. I miss her."

Pepper smiled. "Okay." If he was sure he felt ready then she could hardly tell him he wasn't, and it did feel silly to keep them apart when their daughter had come so close to losing her daddy.

Anyway he had been very lucid and the little time he was awake he did act like himself, only a little soppier. Before he'd woken up she had feared that there would be brain damage, and before that she'd thought she'd watched him die, that the power had overwhelmed his brain. So for him to now be so much himself that he was already planning on making himself an arm, there must be some truth in the Stones being sentient and knowing he was doing good with them.

"Swear to me that you will rest for her, and I'll bring Morgan from school and we'll even bring cheeseburgers."

"I promise. Thank you, you're the best. I'll never ask for anything else."

She beamed at him, cradling his head in her hands to draw him to her and kiss his forehead. "That's okay. I think we all need this."

* * *

Around quarter past four that afternoon, something new woke him up, his daughter's anxious voice. "Daddy?"

For the first few seconds it felt like he was at home in their bed, Pepper curled up beside him, their little alpha female disturbing them early on a Sunday morning. It was bliss, and then he remembered everything. "Morgan." He pulled himself up and against the headboard, smiling at the sight of her in her mother's arms. "Hey, sweetheart."

Her worried features seemed to soften as she gazed back at him, and then Pepper pushed her dark hair back from her face, tucking the strands behind her ear. "See? He's okay. He was sleeping."

He knew he should have asked her to set an alarm or call ahead, he hadn't exactly made this easy on Morgan had he? Well he could make it easier now, so he nodded to back his wife up. "I am okay. Mommy saved me, you know? But do you know what would make me better than okay?"

"No." She shook her head, still clinging onto her mom. "What?"

"Well I could really do with a hug. Think you can help with that?" This time Morgan nodded, and finally he'd coaxed a smile from her. "Come here."

He reached his arm out to her as Pepper brought her over and put her on the bed beside him.

At first she held back, just touching his chest with her hands, so he waited, didn't push her, smiling as he watched her puzzled expression. The next moment, she pounced on him, eliciting a groan as she landed heavily. "Sorry."

Morgan tried to back away but Tony wrapped his arm around her and held her to him. "No, don't stop." He pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "I love you."

He watched with glee as his daughter smiled. "I love you three thousand."

"Still three thousand? Wow, lucky me." He closed his eyes as she rested her head on him, and then, a few seconds later, he felt Pepper sit down next to them. He beamed at her, mouthing a thank you.

"Good job." She mouthed back, stroking their daughter's hair as she took in the sight of the two people she loved most. "Be gentle with him."

Morgan nodded, using her arms to get leverage against him and look at his face. "What happened to you?"

"What happened? You mean…?" He pointed to his right shoulder, stalling for time as he locked eyes with Pepper; how much had she told her?

"All she knows is that you were hurt in the battle, almost died. She saw you bandaged up and I did warn her about the permanent effects."

Turning his attention back to Morgan, he ran his fingers through her hair, wondering how he could begin to explain things to her. "You know how I went to help our friends try and get back all the people that had gone? Well the bad man that made them go away wasn't very happy when we got them back. We had to stop the bad man because he wanted to make everyone disappear, but he was very hard to stop. When we fought him before, we lost and that's why all those people were gone, so this time we needed something really powerful to defeat him."

"Did he hurt you?"

"No," he assured her, pressing a kiss to her newly furrowed brow. "I actually got a hold of some very powerful stones, the same things we used to get everyone back, we think they might be the most powerful things in the whole universe, but let me tell you they cost way too much to get them." Tony cupped her face, sure she was frowning because he had tears in his eyes. "They're so powerful that I knew I could use them to stop the bad guy, but I knew from my very strong friend, the Hulk, that if I did they would probably be too powerful for me to survive. But I used the stones anyway, made the bad guy and all his army disappear and it hurt me, a lot. I thought I was dying, but that was okay because you and your mom were safe." He smiled, wiping the corner of her eye with his thumb. "But somehow I lived, and then your mom saved me, and I got to come back to you." Tony smiled even wider, trying to show her it was okay. "The power destroyed my arm and left it's mark on my skin, but I want you to know that I'm still me and that you're worth it, you would have been worth it even if I did die. You and your mom are my whole world, I can't live without you."

She still looked worried, but he supposed that was a given. "Does it hurt?"

"No, not now that it's healed. You wanna touch?" He watched as her gaze settled on his neck and all her features tensed a little more. "Go ahead, you won't hurt me."

As she started to reach out, he smiled, angling his head to give her better access. Tentatively she touched his shoulder, her little hands soft against his angry skin, and then she started to trace his scars, following the branching pathways with her fingertips as she made her way up his neck and onto his face. "It looks like lightning."

With her touch growing more firm and her confidence growing, he held her tighter, enjoying having her lounging across him. "Pretty cool, huh?"

Six months earlier there had been a ferocious storm one night, the first real one Morgan had ever heard. A tremendous crash of thunder had woken them all, then he and Pepper had found her in the hallway crying. He remembered sitting up with her, looking out the window together at the forks of electricity dancing through the sky, deadly but beautiful. With each roll of thunder she jumped a little less, and as each flash passed, she loosened her grip on his arm just a little until she was leaning on the windowsill and exclaiming, 'It's so pretty!' They'd let her sleep with them after the storm had passed, and for the next few weeks everything she drew had had a lightning bolt on it somewhere.

"It's beautiful."

Closing his eyes, he blew a deep breath out to steady his emotions, then cupped her head and turned to kiss her face. He thought about thanking her for not being scared of the change to his face, but she'd only question it so he decided to preserve that purity instead. "So are you." He kissed her forehead this time, grinning at Morgan as she lifted her gaze to his, her touch still settled against the scarring on his cheek. "You hungry?"

"Starving!"

"Me too."

"Hey." Pepper touched her daughter's shoulder. "Why don't you go grab the food and bring your dad his burger?" As Morgan bounded off, she moved up next to him, cupping the right side of her husband's face. "Told you."

He smiled; there were worse things than getting an I-told-you-so about how much their daughter loved him. "I can't believe we made her. She's perfect."

She beamed back at him. "I can." Then she drew him in for a kiss, and just as they parted, Morgan came back with their food.

Pepper helped her up onto the bed, taking the bag for a moment so she could clamber over her to sit between them. Tony watched as she grabbed a burger, turned to him but then just stared. "What's that look for?" He wiggled a finger in her direction.

"Can I come in to see you tomorrow?"

"I'm counting on it." He grinned at her. "I want you to come every day until we can go home. You wanna have breakfast tomorrow?"

"Can I?" Face lighting up at the prospect, she looked to her mom for approval. Getting a nod in return, she somehow smiled wider.

"And tonight, how about I help your mom read you a story?"

* * *

"Oh, Tony." Pepper crossed the room to reach him. With his strength starting to rebuild, his emotions had stabilized too, bolstered by two weeks spent curling up with her and doting on their daughter, or so she'd thought. His expression was blank but his eyes were shining with tears and as he finally focused on something, on her, he put the tablet he was holding down on the bed. Sitting beside him, she gathered him in her arms, holding his head to her. "What have you been looking at?"

As he wrapped his arm around her, sliding his palm up her back, she looked over him to check the screen: 'The Avengers: In Memoriam'.

"Don't do this to yourself. Why would you look at this alone?" Maybe it was her fault for leaving him alone with tech; those tributes were everywhere, still inescapable, but she supposed that was no wonder. The entire universe owed the Avengers.

He shook his head and she ran her fingers back through his hair, gently coaxing him to look at her. Gazing into her eyes calmed his mind; she was right, he didn't want to face it alone, he wanted to deal with it together, so he eased himself in with the least painful part. "The whole world thinks I'm dead?"

Pepper nodded. "No one knew that I'd taken you for treatment. I didn't know if you'd make it and once the dust from the battle had settled and it looked like you would, I thought maybe this is how we put a pin in it for good. Maybe the only way we get peace is if the world thinks Iron Man is dead."

"No one knows?"

She shook her head slightly. "Just me and Morgan and Happy, and the staff here who've sworn secrecy. I didn't want to tell anyone until you could; it's your secret to tell."

"Ours," he corrected her, earning a hint of a smile. "You did the right thing, Pep."

"Thanks." Her brow softened, visibly relaxing for a moment until the pain seeped back into his expression. "Tony, I need t‒"

"And Nat," his voice cracked, "losing her was bad enough, but what the hell happened to Steve?"

"Hey," she whispered, cupping his face. "That's what I need to show you. The media misinterpreted the report they were given. I want you to read it."

The distress on his face lessened considerably, allowing room for confusion, but it was enough for her to let go and grab the tablet to access their copy of the report. It had been released a few weeks after the fight, outlining the plan to return the lost, their success and the subsequent attack. It also explained that Tony Stark had given his life to defeat Thanos, and that in the days following the battle three others had been lost from the ranks of the Avengers; Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton.

"Steve wrote it. He isn't dead," Pepper clarified for him when his gaze settled back on her, eyebrows raising. "He went back to his own time when he was taking the Infinity Stones back. He stayed, got married, lived a good life and then came back as an old man and gave his title, and shield, to Sam."

"Does that…?"

She smiled as the shock began to be replaced with joy. "And then he helped them get Nat back."

"What?"

She kissed his forehead as his features truly did become a mess of emotion, tears returning to his eyes despite the smile. "He kept the Soul Stone, they sent Clint and he got Nat back. I've spoken to her; she's okay but they've both retired from the Avengers, they've been lying low, enjoying family time. I don't blame them."

"But... none of these articles have tributes to Clint."

"Yeah, don't mention that to Nat, it makes her really angry."

The image, as true to the redheaded as it was, got him to laugh. "I want to tell her, I want them to know, and the kid and Rhodey..."

She nodded with a smile. "In good time. Let's get you better first. You've still got a long way to go to being full strength. No more stressing yourself out with the Internet, okay?"


	4. Chapter 4

Turning the handle, Pepper eased the door to Tony's room open, slow and gentle as she always was to avoid disturbing her exhausted husband perhaps miraculously resting. This time the sight she was met with made her just stop and take a moment.

He was indeed asleep, and as if that wasn't magic enough, Morgan was cuddled up with him too. Sprawled out, the touch of a smile on his face, he was curled just slightly towards their daughter, the arm around her tiny form gently holding her in place as she nestled against his middle. They were breathing in sync, long and deep, Morgan's head rising with every breath he took. She wondered if their smiles matched too, but with her lying sideways across the bed and her back to the doorway, any joy on their little girl's lips would only be visible to his closed eyes.

It was only when she lifted her right arm, and Pepper saw the figure clutched in her hand, that she realised Morgan wasn't with him in the land of dreams. Somehow, her heart felt even fuller, the warmth swelling in her chest. She hoped her two favourite people had at least some idea how much she loved them.

Finally, she took a step inside, and before she could even start to close the door, Morgan was turning to look at her. Pepper held her finger up to her lips, willing her to relax again and smiling as she watched her daughter's mouth close.

Putting her shopping bag down, slowly she approached the bed, then bent down to cup Morgan's head and kiss her temple. "I guess you wore him out," she whispered. "Has he been asleep long?"

The girl shook her head.

"Shall we let him rest a little longer then?"

This time she nodded, and Pepper smiled at the evidence she'd understood it's importance to his recovery when they'd explained it to her.

"Thank you." She kissed her head again, then let her go, watching as she looked back at her red and gold toy and slowly resumed whatever fantasy had been running in her head. It seemed he wasn't the only Avenger that had been on duty that afternoon, the rest of her figures were lying on the bed beside the two of them. Morgan had always had a soft spot for the ones she'd titled 'The Original Six' plus Spider-Man of course, and had been over the moon with her Christmas gift of their figures the previous year, but it had been no surprise to her when Iron Man had proven her favourite hero to play with.

Pepper gently picked up the Widow figure, clearing herself a space so she could sit to Tony's left then reach over him to put the toy next to her plastic archer partner. Once she had the room to settle in with them, her gaze settled back onto the man she loved, soaking in the sight of him in the throws of slumber. Unusually for his restless, recovering mind, he hadn't shown a hint of stirring, and she thought that a testament to how much the day had knocked the energy out of him. At least, by the looks of it, whatever he was seeing was good and not one of the horrors he'd endured replaying in his mind; maybe he truly was past that, and even the Stones' agonising power surge couldn't bring the nightmares back.

Either way he had certainly earned the joy he was feeling, and she hoped that now, finally now, that quote about a soft epilogue could come true. With that thought in her mind, she leant down to kiss his forehead, smiling as he tilted his head up into her touch. "Shh." She lifted her left hand to cradle his head, thumb barely brushing against his temple, and pressed her lips back to the same spot.

With him relaxing, she let go, only for him to move again, curling more to the side, seeking her out. Relenting, she shifted closer, reaching round him to provide support. A moment later, his cheek settled against her thigh, and she smiled down at him as the muscles in his back slowly softened.

There she stayed, enjoying his warm form nestled against her, watching Morgan play, thoroughly engrossed in her imagination and safe in her father's embrace. She knew the evening was starting to get away from them, that they should be having dinner soon to have time to chill out and settle Morgan before bedtime, but then they could always do it the other way around this time. She couldn't bring herself to wake Tony anyway.

After fifteen minutes that was no longer a concern. She watched his hand drifting away from Morgan, then onto her own leg as he straightened his spine and came back to consciousness. "Pep?"

She put her hand over his, stroking his skin with her fingertips. "Hey, I'm here." She beamed as he met her gaze. "Have a nice sleep?"

"Yeah." He stretched, pushing Morgan's hair back behind her right ear, then resting his hand against the back of her shoulder as he drew his knees up. He watched her sit up, wrinkling her nose at him, then, with a little help, pushed himself up next to Pepper. Tony held his arm out to their daughter, smiling as she let the pair of them pull her near. With her settled between them, Tony wrapped his arm around his wife instead, lifting his gaze to her. "Even better for waking to you."

Pepper laughed. "Do you ever take a day off?"

"No. I can't just rely on my dashing good looks anymore."

Noting his suddenly tense features, her smile faded. "Yeah you can. But you've never needed to."

"Thank you." His expression instantly lifted, and he held his eyes on hers for a few extra moments, before lowering his head onto her shoulder. "And Morgs, I'm sorry for falling asleep on you and cutting our time short."

She shrugged as she looked up at him. "You can't help being old."

"Old?!" He opened his mouth in pretend horror.

Morgan grinned before correcting herself. "Hurt?"

"Better." He shook his head with a sly smile, unable to keep the joy from his face as he watched her rock in her place and beam even wider at him.

"I still had fun."

"So did I," he assured her. "I really love playing Avengers with you."

"Speaking of..." Pepper extracted herself from them, getting up and going back to her shopping on the floor. "I got something for you." She shot a glance back at her eager face.

"Is it food?"

"Yes, I got us food." She smiled over her shoulder at them. "Point taken, I'll make us something quick in a minute." Swiftly finding the present, she turned, tucking it behind her, and returned to her family's side. "First, look what I saw in the store!" She presented the gift to Morgan and her little hands immediately grabbed at the box, staring at the front of it with wide eyes.

"Wow!"

"Open it."

She went to obey, and Pepper helped her get the top open so she could pull the inner packaging out. "She's so cool!"

The girl held it up to show her dad, and he smiled even wider, nodding at her. He'd already seen the box; a Rescue action figure. There had, inevitably, been footage of the battle, and before long, in the wake of losing such a public figure, there had been questions about the new, blue variation of Iron Man which had just as quickly disappeared. Whilst she had been focusing on helping her husband recover, Happy had soon seen to it that the suit's real name be revealed, giving her more independent recognition for her own role in the victory.

If she was honest, she thought the whole media campaign insensitive given the pilot's obvious close connection to the hero they thought lost, even though somehow they hadn't worked out it was her. She'd figured that at the very least they could take some pleasure out of the situation, and Morgan seemed to be doing just that. She was certainly happy to help her free the toy so she could truly enjoy the new member of her super squad.

"I guess I finally made it, huh?"

Tony put his hand on her waist and pulled her to him, lips brushing against her ear. "You've always been a big, very loved, part of the team." His breath tickled, making her smile wider and turn towards the sensation.

"Look what she can do!" Morgan's excitement drew their attention back to her. "Thank you!"

Pepper drew her into her arms, running her fingers through her hair as she pushed it back. "You are very welcome, sweetie. You have been through so much the past few months and you've been so strong and understanding and patient with me, with both of us. Thank you."

Her whole expression dropped as she looked at their faces. "I just want Daddy to get better."

"We know, I know." Tony tilted his head at her. "And I know you know how grateful I am. We love you so much, and your mom's right, you deserve a treat, a really big one, and this one's super cool, right?"

"Yeah! I love her!"

"Good." He grinned as she pulled away from them to have a play with her new figure, then turned to whisper to his wife again. "I think she has a new favourite Avenger."

Lifting her left hand, Pepper cupped the back of his jaw, holding him still so she could plant a kiss on his lips. When he sought out more, she nudged his nose with her own instead, considering pointing out how favourites were irrelevant; Morgan was simply happy to still have them both. Then again, he knew that, so she could let him have his little fanboy moment, especially when their daughter was enjoying one too. "Well you're still my favourite Avenger."

* * *

Tony smiled at Pepper as she eased the door shut, gently pushing until it clicked into place to leave their daughter on the other side. "Is she alright?"

She nodded. "Still fast asleep, curled up, a little smile on her face."

"Good." He watched as she slowly made her way across the room towards him. "Are you alright?"

Nodding again, she smiled back. "Just tired."

"Come here." He held his arm out to her, coaxing her closer, and was rewarded in her taking his hand and letting herself be drawn onto the bed. As soon as she was beside him, he curled his arm around her back instead, pulling her against him so she would lay her head on his chest. "I think you're not just tired." He let go of her to draw the covers over them, then wrapped his arm firmly back around her. "I think it's more like you've been running on adrenaline for weeks and weeks, and now that your body knows everything's okay, that's fading. I think two months of being tired and stressed is catching up on you."

Pepper shook her head against him. "I'm okay."

"Probably, but I can feel how tense you are, and exhausted," he swept his fingers through her hair, drawing the strands back from her face. "And I can see you hiding it behind a smile and the love in your eyes. I love you too, Pep, and just because you're looking after me right now, it doesn't mean that I can't look after you too."

"You are. Just like this, just by hanging on and still being here with me."

"Then humour me and let me do more. I'm not gonna let this go until I feel the tension fade and you're fast asleep with the same smile on your face as Morgan."

"Tony..."

He paused, softening his voice to a whisper. "You know all you ever have to do is say the word and I'll stop."

"I know," she confirmed, smiling to herself as once again she shook her head. "It's not that at all. You make me so happy, I love you."

"Good. But that's why I know me being so injured can't have been easy, far from it. I know how hard I found it when it was you with a chance not to make it, even with you awake and nobody else that needed me. And keeping me a secret too? I can't imagine what it was like faking a funeral, people talking to you like I'm dead when that's the very thing you're trying so hard to prevent."

She was silent for a moment. "By then, we were pretty sure you'd make it, just didn't know how well you'd recover. It was the first few days that were the worst; the surgery was long, and even when you survived that, you weren't out of the woods. They said they'd done all they could, that it was up to you to have the strength to stay, that even if you did they wouldn't know what the power had done to your brain until the swelling went down, or really until, _if_ you woke up. After that I worried that I'd done the wrong thing, been selfish, that I'd just prolonged your suffering, or maybe worse, left you in a state that would feel like torture, one that wasn't really living at all."

Holding her tighter, Tony kissed her forehead. "I'm okay. You did the right thing by trying. Thank you for giving me more time."

"I wanted more too. Not just for you, or me."

"I know, and yet, when I was hurt, fighting so hard to keep going, to somehow make it, you didn't ask, tell me, to stay. Why?"

Her whole face dropped into solemn reflection, he pressed his forehead against her, offering the only further contact he could and earning his reward in her relaxing under his touch. "I knew you didn't want to leave us, I knew that if you had any control you would stay. Begging would just be a waste of the time we had. If you had to go I wanted you to be at peace."

"Oh, Pep." He drew the words out, rubbing the small of her back until she tilted her head and looked up at him.

"What?"

Tony gazed back at her, using the sight of her to help him begin to describe how he felt in that moment. "You're the strongest of us all. I hope you know you're my hero."

The look in his eyes made her smile. "You might have said that before."

"God, I love you. I mean… what you were facing and you did that for me?"

"You needed me, and I thought..." She blinked a few times, but it didn't really help with her watering eyes, so she gave up trying. "I thought it was probably going to be the last thing I'd ever get to do for you."

Despite welling up himself, he leant closer to press a kiss to her lips and help her with those tears. "Instead, you said just the right thing to give me faith it would be okay, to calm my mind and keep me with you."

"Well when you did come back, all I knew was that I was going to do everything I could to give you the chance to fight that you needed. And then I just hoped that I'd done enough for you to have control, that I'd get the chance to do a lot more things for you."

He smiled down at her. "Didn't you ever think that something, someone, that was so powerful, so kind, as to bring me back to you, would make damn sure I would _really_ come back to you?"

Pepper shook her head. "Not really. It was hard to see past the fear when there was nothing I could do but sit with you, and as much as I believe in you, I knew it might not be that simple. After you first woke up I thought maybe we'd been that lucky, that maybe all the hand holding, the tears, the sleepless nights, and the secret keeping, had got through and helped you."

"Of course you helped. I don't know how you do it, but you've always been the voice in the dark calling me back to you. I guess you really are stuck with me."

Despite the tears in her eyes, she found a smile forming on her lips and turned her face into his chest for a moment. "I hope so."

Tony ran his hand up her back, and then down again in a long sweeping motion. "You did a really good job of looking after me, and Morgan. We had a little chat earlier when you left her with me. She talked a lot, at first about school, and then she started filling me in on what I missed. She was excitable, and so sweet."

"What did she say?"

As her brow creased, he kissed it once more, hushing her as softly as he could. "She loves you so much, probably somewhere in the region of six thousand. She said you spent every second you could in here, that the night you moved in here with me, she woke up and came and curled up with you in the chair. She loves being in on a secret with us, but she said the funeral was scary; she worried she'd say something to give it away. You were right that the hologram scared her, she said it felt like you weren't just saying goodbye to Iron Man anymore, but in my defence she wasn't supposed to see it unless I actually was dead."

"Steve knew about it."

"I know, and she said you reassured her that I was fighting to stay. She said it was hard seeing people so sad, she missed me too and wanted to tell them, but she wasn't going to tell the secret for anything."

"I hated lying to them too, especially the people we're closest to, I wondered if I was wrong to keep you a secret, but I didn't want any pressure on you. Morgan was so very quiet that day. I thought others would think she was heartbroken and missing you, and she _was_ missing you, but I worried about her. Happy must have noticed too, I saw him checking on her quite a few times. I worried it was too much, that I was making her deal with you dying on top of worrying about you being injured, seeing you bandaged up and out of it. I moved us here, her whole life had been turned upside down, we might lose you, and I was making her keep a secret on top of that?"

"You didn't make her do anything."

"What if I've put her through too much?"

Tony gave her a squeeze. "She's okay, Pep. You're a great mom. She said you talked to her about staying here, about the secret."

"Both are going to affect her more than anyone. I know she's little but I couldn't make such a big decision without talking to her first."

"That's true, and because you trusted her like that, I think she's doing better than either of us right now."

"I hope so."

"You handled everything so well, I am so proud of you. I'm a mess; if it had been the other way around I'd have fallen apart."

Pepper shook her head, her fingers curling in the fabric at his waist. "That's not true. You haven't been a mess for so many years, not even a little bit, and even when you could be a mess, you never were when it mattered. You'd have been strong for me, and for Morgan."

"Like you were for us? I can only dream of comparing." He smiled as he felt her hand uncurl and find the edge of his shirt to settle against the skin underneath.

"She made it easier, her needing me, cuddling me, reminding me to have faith in you whenever the doubts crept in."

He leant closer, resting the bridge of his nose against her forehead. "I'm so glad you had each other, that you could be there for each other."

"And we had you. Like I said, you hanging on helped."

"I'm so sorry," he whispered against her skin. "I should have taken the Stones to Bruce, to Thor..."

"And given Thanos the chance to take them back? You and I both know you couldn't do that. You were a hero, you saved everyone, and I'm so proud of you. I might wish that you'd never been hurt, that none of us had ever had to go through this, but I know you did the right thing, a very brave and selfless and wonderful thing," —she pulled herself from his touch, leaning back slightly to look up at him— "and for you to still be here with us, I can't be the only one."

"It was _you _who saved me."

"Shh." A smile touching her lips, she gently shook her head, holding her gaze on his. "The important thing is that you're here, all I want is for you and Morgan to be okay."

"I will be, but she already is, better than okay. Trust yourself like I trust you. You involved her in the decisions and told her the truth, you did right by her. She's more than okay, she is so happy." He felt her let out a deep breath in a sigh, and then as she closed her eyes, Tony kissed her forehead.

"I was so scared."

He nodded, nuzzling her in the process. "You did it, I'm okay, we all are. Thank you for saving me."

"Anytime." She held on tighter for a moment, then her touch softened again and she traced her fingers up and down his side. "I love you, Tony."

"I love you too, Pep." He watched as the words made her smile, her eyes remaining closed. "That's it. I've got you, I'm right here. Get some sleep, honey."


	5. Chapter 5

"Let me take that one," Pepper reached around Morgan, taking the completed dish from in front of her and replacing it with a plain pizza base, "so you can work your magic on this one."

The little girl reached for the bowl with the sauce in it, grabbing hold as her mother nudged it within reach. With a little guidance, she spread it out across the base, then sprinkled some grated cheese on top. Then came the fun part, the toppings, and she set to work putting slices of tomato, bell pepper and olives into place.

"What're you gonna use for his hair?" Pepper asked as her daughter finished creating facial features on the edible canvas.

"Mushrooms," she answered determinedly, reaching for the tub they were in and pushing it towards her mom.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea, sweetie. He might not be too happy about that." She started cutting one up anyway, passing the halved slices to Morgan.

She separated the stacks, putting half on the edge of the sauce, just above the middle, the rest on the opposite side. "Just there." Reconsidering, she then moved a few smaller pieces down to the bottom. "And there."

Pepper laughed as the girl then reached for the sliced sausage, bacon pieces and pepperoni, all foods that would cook brown, or close enough for a pizza topping. "Oh, I see. That's perfect." She leant down to kiss her cheek from behind.

Morgan smiled, then pulled away to continue her work. Adding the meat at the top of the dish, she then moved on to the more fiddly task of replicating her dad's facial hair. After a couple of minutes she paused to take in her masterpiece. "What d'you think?"

"I think this was a really good idea. They look great. Your dad's gonna love his."

"Yeah?" She smiled at the approval, looking up at her mom as she was pulled into her side.

Beaming back, Pepper nodded, and then her gaze snapped away from her to the movement across the room.

"Of course I am." The door opened a little more and her eyes widened at the sight of Tony reaching his arm toward the frame, slowly and deliberately stepping forward.

"What are you doing?" She let go of Morgan and instinct carried her to his side before he could truly lean against the door frame.

As she grabbed a hold of him, fitting herself under his arm, he steadied himself against her instead. "I heard your voices."

"Come and sit down." She helped him inside, towards where their daughter stood. It wasn't the first time he'd been through to their temporary living quarters; he'd eaten most of that week's meals with them there, and some towards the end of the previous week when he'd been strong enough, wheeled in before hauling himself across to one of the chairs.

The room was a moderate size, but that was disguised by how much had been crammed in; a small kitchen area with an island they could all sit at, a couch and armchair with a television, and in one corner a small bed partly divided off with a bookshelf. Morgan had some toys lying on the bed, a few more on the coffee table, and a small stack of books on the shelf. Pepper had done what she could so that their daughter would feel somewhat at home while they were there, and he hadn't been at all surprised by the success shown in her never complaining.

He'd especially enjoyed their new bedtime routine, sitting on the couch to read Morgan a story before watching Pepper tuck her in, but still he was striving to be able to do both himself, to actually be able to support his own weight. It frustrated him to yet again be needing her help just to get there, but it was some comfort that it was never begrudgingly given, plus he supposed this was progress.

With his wife's assistance, Tony made it to the nearest seat and as she eased him into it, she caught a glimpse of him mimicking the face Morgan was pulling at him across the counter. Pepper kissed the side of his head. "Why would you pick when you're on your own to get out of bed for the first time? Stop trying to run."

"I was only walking."

She shook her head, drawing him to her to repeat the kiss, then smiling as he cuddled her closer. "You know what I mean. Just take it easy."

"Come on, you wouldn't have me any other way."

She ran her fingers through his hair, and he turned his head to look up at her. "Yes, I love you just as you are, but what I won't have, is you causing yourself harm because you're trying to rush your recovery."

"I won't."

"You'd better not." She smiled, continuing to stroke his hair anyway. "I know you can be patient. Over eight years with a ring, but you struggle with a couple of months building your strength to get decades more?"

"I had you for those eight years, and before. I already had everything I wanted."

Beaming, she planted a kiss on his lips. "And you have us now."

"And I'm so grateful that you're both here; I just hate feeling so weak, and I miss our home and our lives."

Morgan leant across the counter, staring him down with purpose. "And we missed you!"

"Exactly." Pepper nodded. "Being here isn't so bad because it means we still have you, and we love you." She held her gaze on his, making him take her words in. "You're doing great, I think a couple more weeks and we'll be able to go home. Until then, remember that you survived six Infinity Stones, and give yourself a break."

"You said‒"

"Survived, came back, same thing; your body is recovering from them either way. I really can't get you to stop, can I?"

Tony smiled. "No, you're right." He pulled away from her to meet Morgan half way across the breakfast bar. "And you've got a very good point. I'm an idiot, right?"

She nodded, trying and immediately failing to hold back a smile. "But it's okay."

* * *

It wasn't long after they finally went home that Tony first made his way into the workshop. Initially it was an afternoon activity with Morgan, something she looked forward to the end of school for, even if she had been instructed to make sure he didn't overdo it. Brainstorming had proven difficult without his right hand though, so soon Pepper had joined too, helping with diagrams and before long with fiddly electronics.

The three of them worked meticulously, rarely a day passing by without a plan or prototype being looked at, but though it was steady, progress was also slow. Anytime he showed a hint of being tired, Pepper would pull him away from the bench or computer and make him rest. He imagined she worried about him overworking his brain; even after four months, it was still recovering from the power surge, making him tire quicker than he used to. Tony never fought her on it though, his welfare was a priority far above the project, and hers came above his, so the less stress she was under the better. It helped his impatience to know that each time he let her lead him away from the workshop, the break would in its own way get him a little closer to his goal by making him stronger.

Within a couple of weeks they had a model close to what he was aiming for, the basic functionality there though he still had features he wanted to add. As well as being essential, the movement was his primary focus, working at making the articulation precise and responsive, a step above any self-piloting suit he'd made before.

He reveled in letting their daughter help with whatever she could, but more often she watched with fascination as her parents worked together in effortless partnership. Seeing Pepper's delicate hands working to improve the tech under his guidance reminded him of the day he'd first confessed that she was all he had, her features creased with worry as she'd worked to replace the arc reactor in his chest. That wasn't even the first time she'd saved him, or close to the last, and her very next act had done the same. He hoped that on the battlefield, in her very own suit, would be the last time she would have to do any such thing. All the same, he took great joy in her playing such a large part in his latest invention, and in it being the first that their daughter had actively influenced.

For over a month he had run tests on the arm, Morgan had insisted they'd done enough of them, at least a million, but done her best to record anything he asked her to as he controlled the limb with his mind. A couple of weeks in she had moaned at how long he was taking, so he'd promised that on alternate days they would work on something other than the movement to appease her. However, he had yet to try it on, instead keeping it on the bench as it touched an array of inanimate objects which became evermore fragile until eventually it had held grapes between it's fingers and thumb.

He had warned them both off touching it when it was active, and to keep him from fretting any more they had obeyed. In the end Pepper had had to be the one to tell him it was time to truly test it, to put it on and see just how remarkable his invention would prove to be. Eventually he'd given in and with them both at his side, had prepared the arm for its purpose so that only one job remained, and he knew a little someone who was perfect for it.

"Before we take it out for a proper spin, you wanna pick the colours?"

Morgan's face lit up at such a privilege, and then her features hardened into adorable concentration as the gravity of the task hit her. She looked around the room and then back at him. "Blue."

Tony pressed the screen, limiting the range of hues available to choose from. "Which blue?"

"That blue."

They both looked down at her, but found she wasn't pointing at the monitor but across the room at the helmet on the shelf.

"Rescue blue?" Tony looked at his wife, his lips slowly curling into a smile. "Yeah," he breathed. "I like it."

Pepper smiled back. "So do I. And it's not red and gold."

He laughed, reaching out to set the colour and trigger the rendering of it. "I thought that might not be the best idea, for now at least. I figured shiny Iron Man coloured metal might just be a bit too obvious if I'm supposed to be dead, that is if my face doesn't give it away. How are we going to pull this off?"

"We've been practically off the radar for five years anyway, plus the six months you've been recovering. We stay out of the public eye, lie low a bit longer while they believe we're grieving and then we hide behind sunglasses and focus on Morgan for a while. Before long we'll be old news and people won't recognise us so easily, and if the odd person does then it'll be a rumour, and if they do find out then I guess they find out. By then it won't change things."

"I hope so. All I want to be is a good dad," he smoothed his palm over Morgan's hair as he spoke, "and a good husband to you."

She leant in to kiss him with a smile. "You are, both."

Their daughter nodded, pressing herself into his side. "You're the best."

Tony held her close, looking down at her sweet face. "Thank you." As he gave her a squeeze, he turned his attention back to her mother. "And thank you. I am going to make it up to you for all these months, for all the patience you've had and the stress I've put you through."

Pepper shook her head. "You already have. I love you."

"I mean it. I don't know what I would have done without all the love you've both given me, but especially you. You've given me strength, well you always have, but I really couldn't have made it without you."

Cupping his face, she made sure he'd keep his eyes on hers. "All I wanted was for you to make it, to heal, to recover and _look at you_, you're almost there." She blinked a few times to suppress the tears she could feel welling up. "There is nothing to be made up for. I have loved spending all this time with you." She touched her forehead to his. "I should have lost you but I get the love of my life here with me, with us, what's better than that?"

"Nothing," he whispered, then drew back just enough to let go of Morgan and cradle his wife's face in his palm. At least her eyes were watering because she was happy. "I love you too, so so much. I know we got a miracle, and I'm not discounting that. I just wanna treat you both, show my gratitude, and love."

"You have. Since you woke up you've been nothing but a big bundle of love."

"Even if that's true, I want to take you both on vacation, a few weeks, a month, anywhere you like, maybe we could fit a trip to Disney in for you." He put his arm back around his daughter's shoulders.

"Please!"

"Sounds wonderful. You're not quite that strong yet, but give it a couple of months, we could go in the summer." She smiled as he grinned at her. "Until then, I think the biggest thing we can do to help you get stronger, is getting your arm sorted. It's looking pretty Rescue blue to me, you ready to really test this thing?"

He nodded. "Would you like to do the honours?"

Pepper reached for the arm without answering him, carefully lifting it from its stand. "Come here." Placing her hand on his back to help keep him still, she brought the device up to his right shoulder as Morgan looked on in eager anticipation.

She took her time, purposefully tender with him as she guided his new limb to connect to his body. The nano-tech he'd built in then began to adapt and mould itself to his skin, so while she waited, she took the opportunity to glance up at his face. He'd sworn it wouldn't hurt, but this was more of a bond than their previous tests, so she couldn't trust that he would know that for sure, or that he wouldn't hide the pain if it came, not with their little girl watching. Fortunately all she saw on his face was affection, and maybe a little pride, his eyes on her.

The surface of the limb rippled as the process finished, appearing to become porous, though she knew better; those were artificial nerves uncovering. "How does it feel?"

"Alright." He rotated his right shoulder, watching the arm move under his command, his face lighting up as the elbow and wrist did the same. "No, good." As he held his arm up between them, he began the more particular act of wriggling his fingers, and slowly they obeyed.

Morgan's mouth hung open as she watched it. "That's amazing!"

Tony nodded at her, dumbfounded for a moment, until he felt a hand on his right triceps. His gaze snapped round to the same spot and found Pepper had indeed laid her hand against the metallic surface again. "It feels like a phantom limb, but it's real."

"You'll get used to it. We all will."

Smiling, he lowered his hand, holding it out flat to her. Her eyes had settled on her fingers too, watching them drift down the faux muscles until her forearm lay over his. For a second, she lingered, before continuing her path down to feel their hands meet.

His fingers curled into her touch, stroking her palm and then keeping her from moving any further as he turned to rub his thumb over her knuckles. Fingertips brushing over her skin, he touched them tentatively to hers, and then returned to her palm.

As he looked up at her face, he found she was already watching him, a smile playing on the edges of her lips as he flexed his hand beneath hers. Finally, he let himself relax, content that the new limb was proving as accurate as the one of flesh and bone, or rather, as gentle. Eyes never leaving her, he ran his fingers up her arm this time, sweeping across her back to draw her into his chest, doing the same with Morgan on his left. Clutching them both to him, he kissed his daughter's head, and then his wife's cheek, beaming at her. "I've really missed being able to do this."


	6. Chapter 6

"Where are we going?" Peter looked to Happy for answers as they walked away from the car; the area felt familiar but nothing was really springing to mind. He looked out over the grass as they took their first steps onto it. In the distance he could see an area that was fenced off, and between the large trees up ahead could just about make out the play area inside. There was someone leaning on the climbing frame, and he only caught a glimpse of red clothing before the young child wearing it slid out of view. "What are we doing here? Does somebody need our help? Why are you so quiet? Is something wrong?" He was getting nothing back, and then it hit him. "Is May okay?"

"Your aunt's fine."

"Then why won't you tell me anything? What's going on? Come on, Happy! You're killing me here!"

"Hey, kid." A voice came from the other side of the tree they were approaching. "You mind keeping it down? You're gonna attract attention."

They stopped. Peter's mouth dropped open, he turned to Happy who was now smiling at him. "No way!"

He ran towards the source of the voice, grinning at what he found. There was Tony Stark, and he was looking a hell of a lot better than the last time he'd seen him.

"Mr Stark, you're alive?!" Slowing, he continued towards him. "Does Pepper know? Wait, what am I saying? Of course she does, and Morgan." Tony pointed out in front of him, and Peter realised that it was them he'd seen from afar. Now he could see them both grinning as Pepper held her daughter up to the monkey bars. A smile started to show on his face before another thought stole it away. "Do the Avengers know?"

"You're the first one we've told."

"Me?" He dropped onto the ground beside him, staring as his mentor nodded. Then Peter grabbed a hold of him, leaning into a hug.

Tony returned the embrace, squeezing him. "You miss me?"

Peter nodded as he sat back. "It's been insane. There have been so many times that I wished I could talk to you, so many things I wanted to tell you. Fury called on _me_ to save the world, I fought this crazy guy who said he knew you, and I almost died... and then MJ kissed me, Mr Stark! She loved the necklace, like you said she would, and I am so happy. Being her boyfriend is the best."

Tony smiled. He remembered that feeling well, hardly believing that intelligent, beautiful, amazing Pepper would choose him. It hadn't ever really gone away but with everything they had been through, she must have seen something in him because her love was as steadfast as his and look at where they were now, what they had built together. "You're a good kid, and she seemed pretty great, she's smart and she's got you figured out. You look after her and she'll look after you."

"I will. You wanna see a pic?" Fishing his phone out of his pocket, he twisted it slightly as he held it up to him.

He wasn't sure why that was necessary when he'd met her, but if he was that keen to show off the girl he evidently loved, he could humour the kid. "Sure." The photo was a selfie and in it Peter was kissing MJ's cheek, her grinning at the sensation. "Looks like you make her happy."

"I try. And this is definitely going to make her happy."

"No, this has got to stay a secret, Peter. And I'm not talking an 'I'm Spider-Man' level of secret, a real secret. This is my secret, for my family; Iron Man is dead and the only way that girl finds out is if you marry her, got it?"

He nodded. "I won't let you down, Mr Stark."

"I know. Pepper and I have seen the good you're doing with the homeless, we've been watching the news, and Happy told me all about what happened with Mysterio. I'm proud of you, kid."

Peter's brow creased at the mention of that man. "But I gave him E—"

"I'm proud of you," he repeated firmly, and once again he was pulled into a hug he was glad he could receive. "The glasses are yours. I stand by my decision to get Happy to give them to you, and by Pepper's to keep this secret. As far as the world is concerned, I might as well have been dead, I was out of commission and she knew that was my last fight whatever the outcome. She made the right call and so did I." As Peter let him go, he noticed that he didn't look too convinced. "You've got this. But I'm still here if you want advice, and we'll help you out with any tech you need. I like the new suit."

"Thanks."

"Not so keen on the Night Monkey look though."

"I don't want to talk about the Night Monkey."

Laughing, he decided to let it go. "Okay."

"Are you really okay?"

Tony nodded. "In every way that matters. And getting stronger every day; I'm almost able to carry Morgan again, and the last time I saw you I didn't think I'd even get to see her again."

"I'm glad you did, the three of you truly deserve this, and she's awesome. The arm's pretty cool too. Pepper's colours?"

Of course he would pick up on that. "The little one's choice. But I certainly approve, and it's very fitting, I wouldn't be here without her." He looked away as he caught movement in the corner of his eye. They were coming back. "We're having a picnic, that includes you, and we want you to come back to ours after."

"Really? Well, yeah! I mean, thanks!"

"You're always welcome with us, I hope you know that."

"Yeah?" He looked at the man who still felt like a father to him. The only response he got was a nod before an arm was thrown round his shoulders to draw him closer. "Thank you, Mr Stark."

"Tony. We prevented the end of the universe together; I'd say we're there."

"Spidey!" With a newfound spring in her step, Morgan closed the distance on them and Peter rose onto his knees to meet her in a hug.

"Hey, Bright Stark." He grinned at her as she peered up at him. "I think I need some secret keeping lessons from you." Letting go of her, he sat back down and gestured for her to join him. "How'd you get so good?"

She shrugged, then squeezed herself into the gap between him and her dad. They gladly accommodated her. "Mommy said if we made it a secret he would be safer."

"She's right, he will be. And you're doing a really good job. I bet they're both so proud of you."

As Tony reached up to run his fingers through her hair, he heard his wife voice exactly what he was thinking.

"Of course we are." Pepper settled into her place the other side of him, laying a hand on his leg and ever so slightly leaning on him to see past him. "Pete, I'm sorry we had to keep this from you."

"I don't mind." He smiled as he gazed back at her. "I get it. You needed to focus on getting him better. Thank you for letting me in on the secret now, and first."

"Well, _you_ might have a hard time getting him to admit it, but I know he really really missed you while you were gone, we all did. And Morgan loves you too."

They all watched as the boy's eye's widened, the rest of his features softening in awe. "I..."

The little girl beamed at him, leaning towards him with arms outstretched until she fell against him and squeezed tight. Peter took that to mean being speechless was okay, and drew her closer, taking in the smile on her face. "You're super fun, and good to me, and I think you're really really cool."

"Cool? I think you might be the first person ever to think I'm cool. Even my girlfriend thinks I'm a dork."

"Dorks are cool. I'm a dork."

"Yeah you are." Tony smiled, sliding his arm around Pepper as she curled into him and wrapped her arm around his middle.

"And Daddy, he's the dorkiest dork ever."

He muffled his laughter within a breath, grinning even wider as his wife concealed her own in the crook of his neck before pressing a kiss to his skin. "Yeah you are."

For a moment, all Peter could do was stare at the three of them. "Then I guess I fit right in."

"Yeah," Tony assured him, "and we're so glad the two of you got the chance to know each other."

"Me too!" Morgan agreed.

"Same." Peter nodded, but then let go of her, reaching into his pocket. "Can I get a photo?" As he lifted the phone up, Tony took it from him, pressing at the screen. "What are you‒?"

"Checking the security. This is a secret, remember?"

"Stop it, it's your tech." Pepper reclaimed the phone on Peter's behalf, returning it and handing over her own too. "Take it with mine, we'll give you a copy but nothing digital for now, okay?"

"Sure, thanks."

"Come here then." Tony pulled Morgan up onto his knee, and her mother reached for her too, drawing her back to lean against him. With their daughter settled, he held Pepper close again, hurling the other arm around Peter's shoulders.

The teen held the phone up, encouraging them all to smile. After snapping a few shots he checked the results, a soft smile spreading across his face as he took in the joy emanating from the image. Again it crossed his mind how much this wonderful little family deserved their miracle.

"They turned out great." He looked up and saw their friend, ever the vigilant protector, still stood at a distance, guarding them despite the otherwise empty park. "But let's take some more. Happy!" he called, grinning as he got the man's attention. "Get over here!"

* * *

An invite to a video call flared up on Pepper's tablet and a second later Tony ceased pacing and grabbed it off the back of the couch. Joy already spreading across his face, he stared at the name on the screen as he moved round the other side and sat down. Taking a deep breath to ready himself, he leant forward, propped the device up on the coffee table, and then pressed the green answer button.

The call connected immediately, and he was met with the wonderfully breathtaking image of his extraordinary and selfless friend.

Natasha couldn't see him though. Turned away from the camera, her right arm against the back of the sofa, she was waving someone over with her other hand. "Get over here before she picks up."

Her hair hung in soft curls around her shoulders, no sign of the blond she'd had in it nine months earlier. The light from the nearby window highlighted the shine that had been lacking back then, and even at that angle he could see a smile on her lips, every feature lifting with them. It was easy to guess who she was looking at.

Then he caught a glimpse of metal on her finger as sunlight caught the shiny surface. So they did have rings; he'd never seen them wear any before, the one time he'd probed about it all she'd said was that they weren't practical in the field. He'd guessed they had other, more subtle, symbols that they wore.

"I'm cooking lunch," Clint walked into view far behind her, making a point of locking eyes with her as he spoke, "for you."

"For _us,_" she pointed out. "It can wait five minutes." He was gesturing with his finger for her to turn round. As if she was going to do it alone, Pepper had specifically said they should call together. "Don't you want to know what's so important?"

"Natasha." The voice came from behind her, and it wasn't who she'd called, so she turned in an instant. Somehow, the face she saw matched the voice, a face she definitely wasn't expecting to see, though she'd had her suspicions that something wasn't as it seemed.

She smiled as they gazed at each other in silence; they didn't need to say a word for her to feel emotional. From the look on his face they were both going to be a mess at the end of this conversation. "Hey, you."

He beamed back at her. "Hey. Surprised to see me?"

"Probably not as surprised as I should be." She smirked. "Faking your death to watch yourself become a legend is a very Tony Stark thing to do."

"That wasn't my choice! That was Pepper! But... she was right. Anyway, I'm not the only one they think's dead. Hypocrite."

"That was a misunderstanding, but I actually did die."

"So did I, four minutes and twelve seconds apparently."

"Eleven days."

"I lost my arm."

"You win." She smiled again, laughter in her breath. "I'm glad you're okay, even if you're not in one piece."

"And I'm so happy to see you back where you belong..." He glanced behind her to where he could see Clint, and as his gaze lingered on him in the kitchen of the homestead, Nat's features slowly softened. "Is he alright?"

She nodded, watching the smaller image on her screen as her partner leant on the counter. "I'm fine, still able to speak for myself anyway."

"Sorry." He screwed his face up at his red-headed friend, waiting for the laughter in her eyes to fade, and for Clint to go back to what he was doing, before leaning closer to the screen. "He _really _loves you, you know?"

Natasha stared at him, mirroring the movement. Was he talking about the state Clint had been in the first time he'd come back from Vormir? "Of course I know. I've probably known that longer than you've known Pepper."

"Wow."

"Yeah. I got really lucky," she tilted her head just a fraction, "after a whole lot of being really _un_lucky."

"The two of you? That's not luck." He shook his head. "And speaking of… Pepper thinks you saved me."

"What?" She dropped her voice to a whisper. "I was dead."

"I shouldn't have survived that much power, in fact I didn't, so something brought me back. I don't think it was luck either, I think it was her but she thinks that you didn't trade your soul for the Stone, but that the sacrifice put your soul into it. She thinks it was you controlling the power of the Soul Stone, controlling life itself, that you were my guardian angel."

There were the tears she'd expected, finally fighting to escape. "Well, we do have a similar theory. Clint said the light pulsed like it was alive, that he felt it, and he takes it back to my body and I come back? Seems like too much of a coincidence. But I don't remember anything; all I know is that I was saving him and then he'd saved me. But I know if I had any control, if I could have, I'd have saved you."

He smiled. "If you did. Thank you."

"You're welcome," she promised, grinning at the thought that maybe she had managed to save everyone after all, and then her gaze drifted over his right cheek and down to his arm. "Sorry that I fucked it up."

He laughed. "What? I don't care about that. I get to see Morgan grow up, I get to stay with Pep. You know if I'd been in any fit state I'd have been there with them trying to get you back, right?"

Natasha nodded. "I'll let you off. Besides, you'd already done more than enough. You saved everyone, all the people we fought so hard to get back, saved everyone that I love. You saved Clint, and you saved him so he could save me. Seriously, thank you."

"You're not the only one with family to protect, but you're so, so welcome. Call it quits?"

A grin burst onto her face. "Deal. Just make sure you look after yourself, for them."

"I know. Anyway, I'm still under strict instructions to give my poor old body a break."

"Ah, so Morgan's got you under control."

Smiling again, he shook his head; Nat knew who he meant. "I'm happy to take it easy though. Retirement suits us, and if she says it looks good on me, who am I to argue? From what I can see it suits you both too."

She nodded. "We're enjoying it and it's certainly what we need right now. Being dead has its perks, huh?"

"Yeah, maybe, I don't know how long it will last, but all that really matters is that I still get to be here," he looked over his shoulder, and she was almost certain she saw the corner of his mouth lift slightly, "with my beautiful wife and daughter."

Natasha smiled as the distraction made herself known, the aforementioned wife calling her husband from elsewhere in the house. "Well you've earned it. I suppose we all have."

"Is that Nat?" Pepper made her way down the rest of the stairs, and the redhead noted the exact moment she came into Tony's view.

"Yeah." A tender smile spread across his face, and his eyes widened slightly as he fixed them on her and refused to look away. "Join us, honey."

He followed her with his gaze as she did just that, sitting beside him. Then Nat saw her smile too, broader than him, as she cupped his head and planted the briefest of kisses on his lips.

"Well," her voice breaking the silence, she pulled their gazes away from each other and onto her. "I wondered what you were keeping from me, but I daren't imagine this."

"Right? And the fight we had on our hands; I didn't even have time for disbelief." She felt Tony put his right hand on her knee, running his palm round to her thigh and squeezing. Glancing down, she pried his fingers away with her own and held him there in her lap.

"No doubt." Natasha nodded. Maybe that was what he meant about thinking it was Pepper; whatever might have happened beforehand, she had stabilised him, pulled him off that battlefield and to safety. Tony was probably right.

"Nat, you do know I wasn't trying to deceive you, yeah?"

She beamed at her friend. "I know. You did what you had to, for your family, for the man you love. I, we both understand that, believe me. Anyone who would judge you for keeping this a secret doesn't deserve to be let in on it."

"I appreciate that."

Yet again her smile widened, and then it softened as she felt her cheeks start to ache. "I told you that nothing in the universe could stop Tony Stark from coming back to you."

Pepper tilted her head. "You also told me that you'd look out for him. So thank you." She felt herself beginning to well up. "Thank you so much for sending him back to me."

"What? You think he'd give me a choice?" She found herself smiling again, partly to reassure Pepper but mostly at the sight of her melting from Tony's whispered words of assurance.

"You're stuck with me."

"And what are friends for if it isn't to bring your husband back to life after he's defeated a mad titan using magic stones?"

"Happens all the time, I bet." Clint's sarcastic tone sounded in her ears as he closed the distance on her and leant over to kiss her temple. "Food'll be ready soon."

Nodding, she turned to look up at him, mouthing, "Come here."

Finally giving in, he hopped over the arm of the couch to join her. "It's good to see you looking so… full of life."

Tony shook his head. "Yeah, very funny, Barton. Well it's good to see you smile."

As if on command, he did just that. "You're not the only one who got a miracle."

"Yeah, in her, so look after her, okay?"

"You know she's the one that looks after me."

"True." Nat grinned at him when he side-eyed her. "We're a team. You know I love you." She cupped his face, pulling him slightly off balance to press a kiss to his cheek.

Clint hummed a note of agreement, drawing her into his side to whisper into her hair, "Lucky me."

Tony pulled on Pepper's hand to bring her closer and wrap his arm around her shoulder too. He smiled as she beamed at him; she was right, it was nice to see them being so affectionate, something they didn't witness very often. "And how's the family?"

"Good." Clint nodded slowly as he worked out his next sentence. "The Blip didn't really hit them too hard; quite a lot of their friends were snapped too, their home was still waiting for them." He glanced at Nat, and a few seconds later realised his gaze had lingered longer than he'd meant. "And once we all came home, they eased back into life pretty quickly. I think they're happy."

"Very," Natasha assured him. "They've certainly enjoyed being spoiled by their favourite uncle."

"And aunt," he added.

"Mommy!"

Tony smiled at the distant sound of his daughter's voice, letting Pepper answer her. "I'm down here, sweetie!"

Footsteps started to come down the stairs. "Mommy, where did you g‒?" She paused as she got far enough to see them both looking at her. "Oh, you found Daddy."

Tony glanced back at the screen. "Hang on." Rising from his seat, he grinned at her cheeky, scowling face and walked round to meet her. "Morgoona..." In a weird way it was nice to see her getting a little annoyed at him for stealing her mom; at least she wasn't worrying about losing him anymore. He crouched down in front of her as she reached the bottom of the stairs. "How would you like to say hi to your Auntie Nat and Uncle Clint?".

The old activity forgotten, her eyes lit up. "Are they here?"

"Not quite." He took that as a yes though. "Come here." Hoisting her into his arms, he took her to the others and sat down with her, smiling as she looked at the screen with wondrous curiosity.

"Hey, little one." Natasha beamed at her to help ease any nervousness.

"Hello! My mommy was really glad when she heard you're okay."

Nat flicked her gaze over to her fellow redhead, then back again. "Well, we've been friends for a very long time. And I'm really glad to see that your dad's okay. You're a very lucky girl, you know that?"

Morgan nodded. "We haven't seen you in ages."

It had been a long time. Did she remember her or just her red hair, public image and whatever stories her parents had told her? She hoped it was the former, but she hadn't seen her, or Pepper in person, since they'd come to ask her dad for help all those months ago. Then again, there had clearly been a good reason for that, they were busy looking after him. "You remember me?"

"Obviously! How could I forget you? Either of you?"

"I just wasn't sure you would." A few times she had wondered, if things had played out differently, how well the children she had the privilege of being aunt to would have remembered her. Would they remember her for who she was or what the pictures and articles said? Nathaniel and Morgan were both young enough that she'd realised it was a very real possibility that as time passed, eventually they wouldn't have remembered anything other than the photos on their walls and the way her loved ones talked about her, or the way Clint said her name and the hole where his heart should be.

"Of course I do! You're awesome! Black Widow and Hawkeye, you're superheroes without being super..." she looked up at her dad for a moment, "and without a suit. Will you teach me some moves? I wanna learn some of your cool moves."

Natasha looked at Morgan, the words pulling at something within her. She didn't really know what she was saying. No girl her age should be learning to fight; that knowledge came from experience. "I can teach you how to defend yourself, but there are a whole lot of much cooler things we can teach you. Languages, acrobatics, how to read people, how to dance… We've been all over the world, learnt about so many places, cultures, all sorts of topics; things that we learnt to become better partners, better S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, better Avengers, better people."

Clint finally pulled his gaze away from her and onto the little girl. "Yeah, there are so many things we would love to teach you."

"Really? I can't wait!"

"Really." Nat looked at the proud parents, they were watching Morgan, smiles on both their faces.

Then she felt Clint lean closer again, and all he had to whisper was, "Tasha," for her to know what he meant.

"I'm sorry, we need to go before our lunch burns and all of Clint's hard work goes to waste." Part of her wished she had called after they'd eaten, but there'd been an urgency to the message and an insistence that they be on their own. The point of this meal was to have some time alone though, something they could never get enough of, and this way they'd known whatever it was wouldn't really eat into the time they had the house to themselves. "But we'll talk to your mom and dad later, and we'll arrange to come and see you all very soon, I promise."


End file.
